Power Borne
by Quitealiar
Summary: It wasn't safe to be the child of a nation. Too bad no one told the nations that.
1. Chapter 1

When he heard the doorbell ring on New Year's Day, he expected it to be a relative. None of the other nations had wanted to come to his party this year! Of course, the guest list had primarily been relatives to begin with, but still.

And he supposed it would be difficult to make another trip out here so soon after Christmas, but still, he was put out.

When he opened the door, he became even more put out.

He didn't see anyone at first, so he stared out into the hallway of his apartment building, curious. Then he heard a small sound at his feet and looked down.

There was an infant lying at his feet. Next to the baby we're some baby supplies. Alfred quickly scooped up the child and ran down the hallway, searching for whoever may have left her there, but after several minutes searching the halls to no avail, he saw no one.

"Okay, okay, you can do this. You're the hero, of course you can do this," he muttered to himself as he headed back for his apartment. He settled the infant on the couch, surrounding her with pillows so she wouldn't fall and began moving everything inside.

As he lifted the last box, he saw a piece of paper tucked underneath it. He dropped the box and reached for the paper desperately.

 _Alfred,_

 _I think you know what this means. It's me, Libby Hatch. I can't do this myself. And you said you were pretty well off from your parents. All the paperwork should be filled out for you to take custody, so there's no need to contact me again._

 _Please don't contact me again. Something weird happened after last time. I don't know, just stay out of my life._

 _Libby_

Alfred cursed loudly and brought the box back into his apartment. Libby Hatch. He remembered her. He'd slept with her, oh, well about ten months ago. But this couldn't be his kid. They couldn't even have kids… right?

He'd have to get a DNA check. He went to his phone and dialed CPS.

"Director!" A tall man with blonde hair called out, running to the woman passing by.

"What, Walters?" She asked, concerned. Walters was watching Hatch.

"Libby's been killed. A car accident, or so the claim is. Sabotage, I'd bet."

"Damn. And the daughter?"

"That's the interesting thing. The daughter wasn't with her. I traced her steps, and, you're not gonna believe this, she handed him off to Jones!"

"Wait, she managed to get the girl to her father?" The Director asked.

"Yeah! Girl should be safe now." Both sighed in relief.

"Good. Assign someone to watch the apartment, just in case. But I think that girl is going to be okay."

After a few days, the news had settled in to Alfred's mind. He had a daughter. His boss was pissed at him, but he didn't know how to feel. A part of him was happy, deliriously so. But another part was terrified. This little girl was dependent on him! What if he couldn't keep her safe? And worse, the niggling fear in the back of his mind whispered that she was part human. She could die, even if just from old age. And he could lose her.

Moreover, who would trust him with an infant? He could barely take care of himself! He hadn't even named the girl for God's sake. As he settled in to finish the paperwork to officially take custody of her- what, he wasn't gonna leave his kid to be adopted, no matter what- he finally did just that.

"Ivy." He said, eyeing the tendrils of that plant climbing the walls of the nearest apartment. "Ivy Jones."

He chugged his coffee before entering the meeting room. He'd need it. Ivy had yet to sleep a full night's rest and he was exhausted. He did his best to put on his usual happy face, but was quickly distracted by his brain reminding him to text Ivy's babysitter to make sure she knew what formula Ivy liked.

He was surprised by a tap on his shoulder, and jumped, quickly sliding his phone into his pocket and turning with a grin, though to outside appearances it looked a little strained.

"Al? You okay?" Matthew asked.

"Yeah Mattie, I'm awesome!" But he oversold it. He spoke at an almost comically loud voice, too loud. Canada narrowed his eyes.

"You're sure about that?"

"Absolutely! Nothing wrong here!" Matthew frowned but accepted this answer, figuring he could get the truth out of his brother later. But he never quite managed it.

Many nations would wonder the same thing as the meeting went on, and America went from a facade of excitability in the morning to grouchiness and was that… worry? But he insisted he was doing "awesome" and no one was able to break through his boundaries.

At the next meeting, everything was back to normal, and they all forgot they'd ever wondered about him or that he was ever behaving strangely in the first place.

"Director? We've detected another child." Walters announced one morning. A crowd formed around him as he finished. "Marie Wilson's new born daughter, Claire. She was traveling Europe during time of conception."

"Alright, What are we waiting for? Let's get a team out there! Before they do."

The specially trained team of agents managed to collect the child before any attempt could be made on the mother's life, and they brought both mother and child to the center.

"What's going on?" Marie asked. "Are you the ones who've been following me?"

"No, Miss Wilson. We're trying to protect you from them."

"I'm sure." Marie scoffed. Suddenly she swayed. She quickly handed Claire over to the Director, frowning.

"What did you do to me? What do want from us?"

"Marie, it's going to be okay. Bashir, get over here!" A young doctor rushed forward, grabbing the woman and easing her to the ground just as she began to seize.

"What are you going to do to Claire?" She wailed. "Why us?" And then she could speak no more.

"Bashir?" The Director asked.

"They must have been right there. We got Claire out just in time. Unfortunately, Marie was poisoned. She's gone."

When, a few months later there was a knock on Alfred's door, he answered it quickly. Still, there was no one but a small child before him.

"Okay I know this one isn't mine!"


	2. Chapter 2

Alfred picked up the child anyway, bringing her inside the apartment. Ivy- now almost a year old- was sitting in her bouncy swing, a swing that hung from the doorway and cradled her so she could bounce back and forth.

Alfred scooted past her with the child, with a quick "excuse me sweetie" and set the new baby down in Ivy's crib. He went back out to the hallway, seeing that whoever her mother was, she'd not left any supplies, but there was a note.

This is Claire. She's not safe. Protect her.

Call this number tomorrow at noon exactly.

And below that was scribbled a phone number.

Alfred had no idea what was going on, but he wasn't about to leave a child in danger. So he moved to sit next to Ivy and sighed.

"What have we gotten ourselves into, huh?"

* * *

The next morning- Ivy and Claire had shared a crib that night, something neither seemed pleased with, but what was he supposed to do?- Alfred prepared breakfast for Ivy- cut-up fruit- and found an old thing of powdered formula for Claire. Hoping very hard that powdered formula didn't go bad, he prepared it. It was only a few weeks old anyway, kept in case Ivy wanted it again.

Ivy ate on her own, something Alfred was pleased with, because all his attention was focused on feeding the baby. She seemed about three months old from his best guess, but then, even having a daughter of his own, he wasn't the child expert.

When Ivy was done eating, she pushed her bowl away and Alfred moved to help her down. Ivy toddled away- still not really steady on her feet, and dropped into a crawl as she neared the toys in the main room, pulling out her favorite stuffed animal and gnawing on its thin head.

Alfred kept feeding Claire until she was full, then automatically moved to burp her and carried her into the main room of the apartment.

The apartment was nice, and he kept it aside from his main house to use if he wanted to be in the city for longer periods of time. Since Ivy had been born, no nation had come to it, but they'd rarely come anyway, so it wasn't that weird.

He went to the apartments space storage closet and found a few of Ivy's old toys, a little carpet to lay on and watch the movement of small decorations, a stuffed bear, etc. and carried them into the main room.

"Dada?" Ivy wondered. The "dada" milestone had been only recently and the thrill had yet to wear off. Alfred smiled, and spoke back, hoping to increase her language skills.

"Claire needs a place to play too, baby. She'll play on your old toys."

Ivy was still looking at him confused, but she seemed to decide that it wasn't important and moved back to her toys.

Alfred lay back on the couch after settling Claire in and sighed heavily. It was nearing noon now, so he'd better get his phone out.

He made sure not to call until exactly noon, a restraint he wouldn't usually exercise, but if a child was truly at risk, he'd take it.

"Hello?" He spoke into the phone.

"Hello, Mr. Jones. I won't tell you my name, but I will tell you what I do. I protect, or try to protect the children of nations. Yes your fellows have also had children throughout the years, and those kids, unfortunately have been collected.

"We aren't sure why or even much of how this organization began, but we know it's not good to the children and not for good purpose. Ivy would be among those children now if not for us protecting Libby Hatch as long as we were able. Now, we need you to pay back the favor.

"Claire is the daughter of one of your fellows, and she isn't safe with us. We tried to protect her, but we simply don't have the resources. We're small compared to them. You have the resources. Protect her."

"I will. Of course I will. But what proof do you have?" Alfred asked.

"We'll send you some of our files shortly, so you can verify this. But please don't involve yourself. We don't know what's going on here and interference could be costly to the children.

"One more point. We don't know who is doing this. We know you aren't involved, as you've been protecting Ivy, but it could be anyone. It could even be one of your fellows. Please don't disclose this to anyone. You've been keeping Ivy secret, I presume because you are afraid of her being used against you, so do the same with Claire. Don't tell anyone.

"We'll help arrange the paperwork so you can adopt her. In fact we've already begun. Thank you Mr. Jones."

With that, the phone call ended.

* * *

The paperwork was in fact nearly completed. It took only a few weeks to officially make Claire Jones a member of the family.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: okay so this chapter introduces a headcanon that I needed to make up to make the story make any sense, that headcanon being that nations have an age they appear most comfortably at, but they can change that age to something else with effort. You'll see why when you get there.**

* * *

Alfred cheerily announced that the adoption had gone through as he brought Ivy in to daycare the next day, knowing the moment he said it that it would spread through the parenting community within days.

"Really? Congratulations!" Mrs. Marshall said. "I'm sorry, I'd forgotten you were in the process." It was a leading question. Alfred smiled at her.

"That's because I didn't want to announce it until it was finalized." Alfred lied. "But it's officially! Ivy has a little sister!"

"Congrats!" Miss Lynne, a young woman working at the daycare center, said and smiled at him. "Remember, Rainbow Centre accepts children age six weeks and above."

"Great! Claire is ten weeks. Can you help me get the paperwork for her?"

"Absolutely. Just let me get Ivy checked in. Say bye to daddy, Ivy!"

"Bye!" Ivy waved happily and toddled off.

* * *

Alfred spent the day shopping- babies needed so many things, and he only had a few left over from Ivy was that small.

He didn't need to change the setup of his apartment too much. Claire would sleep in his room, so as not to disturb Ivy in her nursery, but when she started sleeping through the night, he figured he'd just move them in together. Ivy's room was large enough to share.

Ugh. Sleeping through the night. He prepared to say goodbye to a good night's sleep all over again. Still, he wasn't about to leave a kid in danger, and besides, if this was the cost of Ivy's safety, he was willing to pay it. That little girl was everything to him.

* * *

They settled into a routine. Ivy and Claire needed some adjustment time, but by the time they were three and two respectively, they were best of friends (except when they weren't). They both pouted for hours every time Ivy got moved up to a new preschool level and cheered when they were in the same room at daycare. That happened rarely, given they were eight months apart, but it did happen occasionally.

Then came the news that Ivy would be going to kindergarten. The girls wailed when they realized they would be separated forever and pleaded to be allowed to stay together. Miss Lynne winced when they did so the next day at preschool and ventured a quick comment after the girls had been brought to their rooms.

"You know, it would actually be possible to do so. Claire is young to begin kindergarten, but she isn't too young to do so, and she's certainly advanced enough. The only thing I'd worry about is her maturity level, you know, if she's able to sit quietly in class, but even that isn't too bad. It's something to consider anyway."

And consider it he did. It would probably be easier to take them both to kindergarten in the morning rather than to kindergarten and daycare separately. And homework would surely be better if they were working on the same material. Plus the girls would adore it to be in the same class…

Soon he was picking up his phone.

"Yes. Principal Adams? I called earlier. I was wondering about admitting my other daughter to your school. You have an opening? Awesome!"

* * *

Alfred remembered being taught to distort his age by Arthur. To better blend into society, it was possible to appear to the humans a different age than you naturally wanted to look. It took effort, which is why he didn't usually do it, but he was doing it now. It meant the girls could have a semi normal life instead of needing to move around all the time and coming up with new excuses for why such a young man was caring for them.

Now that the girls were nine and ten, he'd adjusted his age to look in his early thirties. He only just barely remembered to revert back to nineteen as he was entering the conference center. He walked across the large foyer, greeting people as he saw them eagerly. He smiled and thanked everything he could think of that he hadn't had to come up with an excuse for why he'd been distorting his age, when every nation knew he never did.

* * *

Alfred was sitting in the world meeting, laughing at the antics going on around him. Them his phone buzzed with a text message, so he pulled it out. He expected it to be from a fellow nation, but soon found it was from the girls' babysitter.

Um. Mr. jones?

Anna, call me Alfred.

Yes, Alfred. I'm not sure what I should do now, but um. There's a baby at your door.

Alfred's eyes went wide and he stood up immediately.

"Would you all please stop having sex!" He screamed in pure frustration and stalked out, leaving a- for the moment- very quiet and confused group behind him.

"Well." Francis said after a moment. "I knew American sexual education was bad, but I didn't imagine it was that bad. What did you teach the boy, Angleterre?"

"Why- you!" And the squabbling resumed.

* * *

Alfred muttered as he neared his apartment about "super secret organization" and "couldn't even make sure I was home" and various invectives against his fellows nations for refusing to have protected sex. He'd made up some excuse to give to Anna as to why there was a baby at his doorstep and stomped inside.

He greeted Anna and told her, in a mournful tone of voice, that he'd just been informed his cousin had passed away, and, well…

Anna nodded easily, offering her sorrows for him.

"I'll pay you extra today, and if you don't want the extra hassle, I'll help you find a new job."

"Oh no, I don't mind. I've worked with newborns before Mr… Alfred."

Alfred nodded, relieved he wouldn't have to find a new babysitter.

"I put them in your room to sleep. I surrounded them with pillows, so they wouldn't fall. I'm sure you'll get the necessary furniture soon." Alfred nodded. Great, he'd have to haul one of the old cribs out of storage. He wondered whether they baby was a boy or girl, and was glad Anna had used the gender neutral pronoun, so he didn't have to specify.

"I'll go in and check, alright?" He more announced than asked, moving into his room, and making sure Anna stayed with the girls.

He didn't turn on the light when he entered, hoping to avoid waking the baby. He walked closer and realized something quite vital. He hissed out his next statement, still inherently aware he couldn't be too loud.

"Twins. Fuckin' really?"


	4. Chapter 4

The twins were very distinctive looking, Alfred noticed as he was watching them sleep. They were mixed race with light brown skin and bright red hair. Alfred couldn't think of anyone with hair like that, so he supposed they must have gotten it from their mother.

He watched them, trying to decide on a name for them. Finally, he settled on two. Elizabeth and Hugo.

He heard a small noise behind him and saw Claire and Ivy entering the room.

"Where's Anna?" He asked quietly.

"Making lunch." Ivy said. "Who're they?"

"We're going to tell Anna they're your cousins. But they're your new brother and sister."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Claire asked. Alfred sighed. He'd been putting off giving them too many details of their situation, wanting to give them a normal life. He'd told them some things, but it looked like he would have to tell them more soon.

"Girls, I'll explain everything, but for now, please just listen to me." The girls looked at him seriously.

"There's something I need to tell you, but I don't have time right now. If Anna asks, tell her that your uncle, oh, Sammy died and these are your cousins. I know it's a lie, but sometimes we have to lie to keep people safe. This is one of those times. I'll explain everything later."

Claire and Ivy frowned at him, but nodded.

"Okay, Daddy." Ivy said.

"Their names are Hugo and Elizabeth." Alfred explained.

"Elizabeth?" Claire wrinkled her nose. "That's too long. She's too little."

"Well what would you suggest?" Alfred chuckled.

"Eliza!" Claire said.

"No, Elsie!" Ivy yelled. Alfred shushed her, but laughed quietly.

"Where'd you get that?" He asked.

"Lisette's puppy!" Ivy said.

"Girls, we shouldn't name your sister after a puppy…" Alfred said. But it was too late. The nickname had stuck.

When they left the room to eat lunch, they announced to Anna that "their cousins Hugo and Elsie were gonna live with them." Alfred shook his head, laughing, but his humor stopped abruptly when he heard a knock at the door and remembered that he'd left the meeting rather suddenly.

"Girls, be very quiet!" He said, rushing for the front door. Claire and Ivy listened, this a habit he'd ingrained in them from a young age. He peered through the peephole and saw England.

He opened the door quickly and stepped outside.

"I'm coming back. Don't get on my ass about it. I just wanted to get out of there, it was so boring! Plus, lunch!"

"Yes, yes. Just hurry up, the meeting needs to go on."

* * *

Alfred was glad it was summer, so he had time to arrange daycare for the twins. It was a hell of a pain finding a new daycare for them, seeing as there were two of them now. He also had to quickly figure out where they would sleep. Besides which, he was also caught up with curiosity again, wondering who their father was. He didn't have much to go on, of course, their facial features weren't fully developed yet, but he wondered regardless.

Suffice it to say, he didn't pay much attention to that particular meeting.

He decided he could move his desk into his bedroom- it was large enough- and make his office into a new nursery. Claire and Ivy already shared what used to be the spare bedroom and- his thoughts were cut off as Germany shouted for him to pay attention.

"No problem, dude!" He shouted back. Germany grumbled but said nothing else, and Alfred redirected his thoughts for the next ten minutes.

* * *

He did exactly as he planned that evening, leaving Ivy ostensibly in charge of the twins after paying Anna quite a bit extra for having to watch two newborns for half the afternoon, and for the surprise of their appearance, and for the extra hour he'd taken to pick up the old cribs from where he'd stored them in his house.

He still kept an ear out for any emergency, but he was a bit busy rearranging furniture. He moved in the cribs and he'd packed as much as he could fit into his car and was now arranging it in the new nursery.

He set the last thing down- a small stuffed bear he'd picked up on the way over- and moved to the main room of the apartment. Claire was reading a book for her summer reading project, and Ivy was as well, though she had an audiobook to mainly listen to and the written book to aid her.

Alfred saw Hugo and Elsie laying on the couch, and moved to pick Elsie up and move her to put her to bed. He picked her up, and she whined a little, but accepted him after a moment. This was also when he saw her eyes for the first time, since she'd been asleep before, and he hadn't had a chance to take much notice before now. They were a dark, deep brown, very pretty, he thought.

He brought her through to the nursery and set her in the left crib. He was glad they were different genders so he didn't have to worry about keeping them straight. Still he figured he'd try to dress them differently or something, because undressing them every time he got confused or dressing Elsie in only dresses would get annoying.

Which reminded him, he'd need to buy clothes for them. He made a mental note to go shopping tomorrow.

He went back to the main room and picked up Hugo. He noted with surprise that the boy had bright, brilliantly blue eyes, adding to his distinctive look. He wondered again who the twins' father was.


End file.
